The MLB season is officially in full swing. We might have more than half of the regular season calendar ahead, but more than two months have elapsed, giving MLB fans an idea of which teams are for real and what teams might look to do at July's trade deadline.
The fact that we're now two months into the season means the stove is red-hot. From injuries to breakouts to potential trade rumors, the latest MLB news and rumors cover all of the above. Here are the most pressing news and rumors for your consumption.
Here are the most pressing news and rumors for your consumption.
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Juan Soto is finally breaking out for the Mets
There haven't been many negative pieces written about Juan Soto recently, and that's because he's finally starting to turn things around for the New York Mets. No, the first couple of months of the season weren't what Mets fans hoped they'd be, but Soto is starting to look like the $765 million superstar New York envisioned.
He might only have six hits in his last 22 at-bats, but five of those hits have gone for extra bases, and he's drawn eight walks compared to two strikeouts in that span. He's been getting on base at an elite clip all year, but Soto is starting to hit with some of the power he had lacked for much of the year. All of a sudden, Soto has a 130 OPS+ on the year, making him 30 percent better than league average offensively.
For the Mets to achieve their lofty goals this season, Soto is going to have to play a superstar role. Over this past week, even with four of those games coming against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the road, Soto has looked much better, and has even started shuffling.
Spencer Strider's struggles could last for longer than Braves fans thought
Expecting Spencer Strider to just pick up where he left off after missing a full season after suffering a major injury wouldn't be fair, but he's really struggled since returning from the IL. Strider has a 5.68 ERA in his four starts this season and has given up five home runs in just 19 innings of work. What's been most concerning is that he hasn't been able to locate at all. He's walking more batters than usual, and when he's thrown strikes, they've been hittable.
He's been worse than anticipated, but Atlanta Braves fans still expect him to eventually revert back to his Cy Young form. As fun as it'd be to see that happen, one jarring statistic suggests he won't ever be the same.
Spencer Strider is one of 13 pitchers (from my research) that received the internal brace surgery rather than Tommy John
— Brady Penn (@bradypenn21) June 4, 2025
Of those 13, 4 never pitched again, and of the 9 that have returned, the return ERA is 4.12 over 697.1 innings pitched
Instead of undergoing the traditional Tommy John Surgery to repair his UCL injury, Strider underwent an internal brace procedure. This would allow him to return faster, but as you can see above, the return hasn't been great for the pitchers who underwent this procedure.
To be fair, none of these pitchers who have undergone this procedure are as talented as Strider, and it's unfair to draw conclusions after four starts, but it's getting closer to time for Braves fans to start thinking about pushing the panic button.
Mets play dangerous game with Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor was able to play all nine innings of Wednesday's game after suffering a fractured toe, but missed his second game of the season, by getting a day off less than 24 hours later. Lindor missing some time after fracturing his toe makes all the sense in the world, but he is hellbent on doing whatever he can to avoid the Injured List. While admirable, this could prove to be costly for the Mets.
As of now, He's avoiding an IL stint, he said. It'll be a pain management issue, but he says he's in a significant amount of pain now. Is walking with a limp. https://t.co/Ikvq9uYmqd
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) June 5, 2025
Prior to Thursday's game, Lindor was seen walking with a limp and in considerable amounts of pain. With that in mind, why don't the Mets simply place him on the IL? Again, it's amazing that he wants to power through - he truly is an Iron Man - but this feels incredibly short-sighted for a team with World Series aspirations.
The Mets' upcoming schedule is incredibly easy, and the team should be fine without him for the next week. Lindor playing through this and taking longer to heal, though, thus hindering his production for when the Mets need him, would be a brutal outcome. It'll be interesting to see if Lindor is in the lineup on Friday or at all in their upcoming weekend series against the lowly Colorado Rockies. For their sake, he shouldn't be.
Red Sox at risk of ruining their season by keeping Roman Anthony in Triple-A
The Boston Red Sox were able to win on Wednesday, but were very close to getting swept on their home field by the Los Angeles Angels. That's a microcosm of how their season has gone so far. The team sits at 30-34 on the year, good for fourth place in the AL East. After they put together what looked like a dominant offseason, they look worse than they did last season. Yet, even with the team's struggles, Roman Anthony is lingering in Triple-A.
Anthony, MLB's No. 1 prospect, has a .907 OPS at Triple-A Worcester this season, and really has nothing to prove in the minor leagues at this point. With that and the Red Sox's aggressiveness with other top prospects like Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, why exactly hasn't Anthony gotten the call?
Promoting him could give Boston the spark it needs to go on a run. The longer he sticks in the minors, the worse off the Red Sox will be.
Bo Bichette could be Tigers missing piece
The Detroit Tigers have the best record in the majors, but not many would pick them to win the World Series, or even represent the American League. If they were to add a big name at the trade deadline, like Bo Bichette, perhaps, that might change opinions. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, a Bichette trade could be what gets the team over the top, and it appears to be doable.
"... renting Bichette's services before he hits free agency would infuse the lineup with the sort of bat Trey Sweeney simply doesn't yet wield. Bichette's gap-to-gap power would play well at Comerica Park and lengthen a lineup that has scored more runs than anticipated. After a homerless April, Bichette whacked seven home runs in May and slugged better than .500. The Tigers don't need much. With their prospect depth, though, they can afford a luxury item," Passan wrote.
It took a while for Bichette to find his All-Star swing, but after a rough April, he had a .838 OPS in May and hit seven home runs. He's starting to look more like the guy who led the league in back-to-back seasons. Adding his right-handed bat to a lineup already consisting of left-handed mashers like Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Colt Keith would give Detroit the balance of star power and depth it needs. He'd also be a massive upgrade offensively over Trey Sweeney, their current starter.
It might cost more than Tigers fans would like since he's a rental, and it's unclear as to whether the Jays would even entertain an offer, but if they will, the Tigers should be all over it. Detroit has the prospect capital to get a deal done without thinking too much of it, and the Tigers are in a position they haven't been in for years. It's time to go all-in, and Bichette can be a difference-maker.